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NCTHAThu, 15 Feb 2018 01:34:36 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.4Save the Kalita and These 9 Other Historic Dallas Buildings, Toohttp://www.nctha.com/save-the-kalita-and-these-9-other-historic-dallas-buildings-too/
http://www.nctha.com/save-the-kalita-and-these-9-other-historic-dallas-buildings-too/#respondThu, 15 Feb 2018 01:34:36 +0000http://www.nctha.com/save-the-kalita-and-these-9-other-historic-dallas-buildings-too/The Kalita Humphreys Theater on Turtle Creek Boulevard has lost its luster. The Landmark Commission and local residents have done much to help preserve the architectural soul of Dallas, and these 10 stories of buildings and districts run the gamut. From homes to world-famous landmarks, these are among the spots most desperate for help in […]

]]>The Kalita Humphreys Theater on Turtle Creek Boulevard has lost its luster.

The Landmark Commission and local residents have done much to help preserve the architectural soul of Dallas, and these 10 stories of buildings and districts run the gamut. From homes to world-famous landmarks, these are among the spots most desperate for help in Dallas.

Kalita Humphreys Theater
3636 Turtle Creek Blvd.
Most cities would be overjoyed to claim a building designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, but Dallas appears apathetic when it comes to the Kalita Humphreys Theater. One of only three surviving theaters designed by Wright, the Kalita Humphreys was designed in 1915 for a location on the West Coast. Wright, was too busy to create a new design and told the Dallas Theater Center committee to choose a previously created plan for its new theater.

By 1955, construction had begun, and in 1959, Dallas became the home of one of the last buildings made by one of the greatest architects of the modern era. Now, the building is a shell of itself after numerous interior changes over the years, including the addition of a lobby and a second story, as well as a complete redo of the theater’s seats, which Wright had laid out.

In 2010, a plan was drafted to restore the Kalita Humphreys to its original design, but it was never implemented. However, a local nonprofit is hoping to reclaim this lost treasure for Dallas. The Kalita Humphreys Theater at Turtle Creek Conservancy, a newly formed nonprofit group, is hoping to implement the 2010 master plan and raise the $40 million needed to restore the theater.

Forest Theatre
1904 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Although the Forest Theatre recently received a hefty grant from the Texas Real Estate Commission, it’s spent the last few decades empty and dilapidated. The theater drew a crowd of nearly 5,000 people on its opening night in 1949. The strip mall attached to the theater was once home to the Green Parrot, a jazz club that hosted artists such as B.B. King, Wilson Pickett and Prince.

By the ’90s however, the theater was shuttered. Current owners Linda and Jon Halbert — along with CitySquare, a local anti-poverty nonprofit — have high hopes for the future of the theater and plan to reopen it in time for its 70th anniversary next year.

Braniff Hostess College
2801 Wycliff Ave.
Between 1999 and 2014, this unassuming building housed a senior living community, but it opened in 1968 as the Braniff Hostess College, a dormitory and training school for aspiring flight attendants for the then-trailblazing Braniff Airways.

Dallas-based architecture firm Pierce, Lacey and Associates was given relative freedom in designing the building, which had a beauty parlor, a fashion boutique and a sunken, white-carpeted lounge lovingly nicknamed the Passion Pit. By 1974, Braniff ceased using the location to train its employees, and it was remodeled as the Park Gate Senior Living Community before being purchased in 2014.

Since then, the building has remained vacant. In 2015, the Landmark Commission initiated the process of bestowing historic designation on the building, yet there doesn’t seem to be much progress on that front. Because of its proximity to the Dallas North Tollway and new apartment developments in the area, we may lose this blast from the past.

Bella Villa apartment complex
5506 Miller Ave.
Once an upscale apartment complex, the Bella Villa has fallen on rough times since its construction in 1927. Mike Birrer, a member of the Landmark Commission, told the Lakewood Advocate that the Bella Villa was originally built as a school and might have been one of Dallas’ first adaptive reuse projects. Some of the old school building is thought to have been incorporated into the apartment complex, although no one truly knows.

Given the history and age of this Vickery Place landmark, Birrer and the rest of the commission initiated historic designation for the property in June. Lackadaisical landlords let the building deteriorate over the years, but current owners Seth Bame and Barrett Linburg are looking to restore the Bella Villa to its former glory.

The Eagle’s Nest Cathedral
1508 Cadiz St.
Just a stone’s throw away from City Hall, the Eagle’s Nest Cathedral has been a downtown landmark for more than a century. Completed in 1912 as the First Church of Christian Scientists, the cathedral was designed by renowned architecture firm Hubbell and Greene. Its current owners, the Rev. Walter Grant Jr. and his wife, Brenda, put the building up for sale last year. The couple told The Dallas Morning News that they are unable to maintain the deteriorating building, which was almost designated a historic building in 2000. Without any protections, the Eagle’s Nest could soon vanish.

Lake Cliff Historic District
Oak Cliff has exploded in recent years, but the neighborhood’s rise in popularity hasn’t been kind to the local architecture. As more homes are being demolished to make way for new developments, both Oak Cliff locals and preservationists are calling for the expansion of the Lake Cliff Historic District.

City Councilman Scott Griggs proposed the expansion last year, which would include the area between Elsbeth Street and North Marsalis Avenue, as well as parts of West Davis Street.

Struck House
1923 N. Edgefield Ave.
This Victorian farmhouse, one the oldest homes in Dallas, was almost razed in 2017. The Struck House, named for two early settlers in West Dallas, Heinrich and Anna Struck, was saved last year after Landmark Commission members voted to begin the process of historic designation. This forced Houston-based homebuilding company David Weekley Homes to abandon its plans to build a multifamily development in place of the 127-year-old home. A.J. Ramler purchased the Struck House soon after it went back on the market and has begun to restore the home’s interior.

Moon Mansion
2200 N. Haskell Ave.
This church turned fabled party palace is also in the process of being designated a historic site. Longtime owner Ashley Bellamy has lived at the 113-year-old former Mallilieu Methodist Episcopal Church since the early ’70s. The neighborhood, like many in Dallas, has seen the arrival of commercial and multifamily developments, prompting Bellamy’s application for a historic overlay designation. The 0.39 acre plot that Moon Mansion sits on is zoned for multifamily use, but if the overlay designation goes through as planned, Bellamy’s celestial domicile will be preserved.

Vaughn House
5350 S. Dentwood Drive
Commissioned in 1951 by Texas oilman Grady Vaughn, Jr., this 9,500-square-foot mansion is slated for auction this month. Designed by architect Robert Goodwin, the Vaughn House is considered a masterpiece of midcentury architecture. While not quite in a state of disrepair, Preservation Dallas listed this Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired home as endangered late last year, chiefly because the opening bid price is $2.9 million. The domicile was on the market last summer for $5.5 million, but if the auction fails to bring in such a hefty price, the new owner could easily demolish it. The Vaughn House sits on a 1.36 acre plot of land in Old Preston Hollow, making its demolition a possibility.

Fair Park
No matter your opinions on the State Fair of Texas or those who run it, Fair Park is home to a number of iconic Dallas buildings that have been neglected for years. A team of architects and designers led by prominent Dallas architect George Dahl redesigned Fair Park for the Texas Centennial in 1936, creating one of the largest collections of Art Deco exposition buildings in the world.

Despite that fact, deferred maintenance has left the area tarnished with leaking roofs, faulty plumbing and an outdated HVAC system. The city’s 2017 bond package gave Fair Park $50 million to revitalize the National Historic Landmark site. but the estimated cost of repairing the buildings is at nearly $240 million. Top priority renovations, such as infrastructure and electrical improvements, are estimated to cost $27 million, and with a large chunk of Fair Park’s bond money going to repair the Hall of State, $50 million is more of a Band-Aid than a resurrection.

]]>http://www.nctha.com/save-the-kalita-and-these-9-other-historic-dallas-buildings-too/feed/0North Texas community planned to help adults with autismhttp://www.nctha.com/north-texas-community-planned-to-help-adults-with-autism/
http://www.nctha.com/north-texas-community-planned-to-help-adults-with-autism/#respondMon, 05 Feb 2018 19:14:43 +0000http://www.nctha.com/north-texas-community-planned-to-help-adults-with-autism/DALLAS (AP) — The first part of a $12 million project in Denton County that’s aimed at creating job and housing opportunities for adults with autism officially launches this year. The Dallas Morning News reports starting in mid-February, adults 18 and older who have a primary diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder and who have completed […]

]]>DALLAS (AP) — The first part of a $12 million project in Denton County that’s aimed at creating job and housing opportunities for adults with autism officially launches this year.

The Dallas Morning News reports starting in mid-February, adults 18 and older who have a primary diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder and who have completed high school can apply for placement in the 29 Acres Transition Academy, the founders say.

The two-year transition program will help young people with autism learn to live independently, and offer specialized job training and employment assistance.

Residents will be selected on a first-come, first-served basis as they meet the criteria. Training will begin in August for the eight who are accepted.

It’s just one part of a project that was first reported by The Dallas Morning News last year.

A University Park couple, Clay Heighten and Debra Caudy, announced plans to create a long-term solution for people like their 20-year old son, Jon, who has a diagnosis of autism and lives at home.

The couple started a nonprofit and made a $750,000 personal investment in 29 acres of land in the town of Cross Roads, where they plan to build a community with duplexes, an activity center and educational programs meant to teach higher-functioning young adults to become more self-sufficient.

"Our vision is becoming a reality. It just really speaks to the need," said Caudy, who is in her 60s and worried about what will happen to Jon when she and Clay are no longer around.

Autism is a group of developmental disorders usually diagnosed in childhood that fall on a wide-ranging spectrum; some children have only mild symptoms. Others are severely disabled. Often individuals with the condition have difficulty communicating. Some exhibit repetitive behaviors.

News about the 29 Acres effort last year refueled a national conversation about the need to prepare for an estimated half million teenagers with autism expected to reach adulthood over the next decade.

"The big picture here is that there are not nearly enough services," said Dave Kearon, director of adult services at Autism Speaks. That department was created in 2012; the national focus had traditionally centered around early interventions and treatments to manage symptoms.

So far 20 families who are also worried about a lack of available resources for their own children have put up a total of $1.6 million combined to propel the North Texas project forward.

One such benefactor is Mitch Basson, 62, of Dallas. His 17-year-old son, Sam, struggles to make sense of social cues, like body language and jokes.

He may not understand if someone rolls their eyes, and phrases like "I’m pulling your leg," he takes literally.

"And all I wish is what any other parent wants for their kids; to reach their maximum potential, whatever that may be, and to be happy, safe and healthy. And that’s what led me to 29 Acres," he said.

That sentiment was shared by Frisco couple Doug and Jodi Bartek, who are both in their 60s.

Their 21-year old son Ryan has a more extreme form of autism. Ryan has what’s described as perfect pitch — by listening to a note on a piano, he can identify which note was played and in which key. But, he likes to do that over and over and over again, and he has difficulty communicating with others.

The Barteks say they started looking when Ryan was in his teens for a place where he could eventually live.

"We found really good programs for special-needs young adults in general," Doug said. "But we really wanted some place that was specialized in autism."

After reading about 29 Acres last year in The Dallas Morning News, both couples say they reached out to the founders and committed $80,000 each to invest in making the community a reality.

Groundbreaking on the 29 Acres property in Cross Roads is anticipated in late spring.

The founders are modeling their project after similar transitional living places in Arizona and California. But parents across the country have been getting creative, pooling resources and proactively filling the unmet need for housing, job training and social activities, experts said.

Most adults on the spectrum live with their parents. And as those parents grow into their 70s, they become less able to care for their adult children. "That’s when the real crisis hits," Kearon noted.

The first students accepted to the 29 Acres transitional program will live in two houses in nearby Paloma Creek that were purchased by an unnamed North Texas family that has a daughter with autism. They are leasing the homes to 29 Acres for a significantly reduced price.

"That helps us keep expenses low. But just as important gives us stability," Caudy said.

]]>http://www.nctha.com/north-texas-community-planned-to-help-adults-with-autism/feed/02018 will see refis plummet as interest rates increasehttp://www.nctha.com/2018-will-see-refis-plummet-as-interest-rates-increase/
http://www.nctha.com/2018-will-see-refis-plummet-as-interest-rates-increase/#respondThu, 25 Jan 2018 13:14:00 +0000http://www.nctha.com/2018-will-see-refis-plummet-as-interest-rates-increase/At the NEXT 2018 women’s mortgage tech conference in Dallas, Texas, CoreLogic predicted the direction of mortgage rates in the upcoming year, and the consequences it will bring. Like other economic forecasts about 2018, CoreLogic also predicts rates will continue rising, hitting 4.8% by the end of the year. While CoreLogic Principal Economist Molly Boesel […]

]]>At the NEXT 2018 women’s mortgage tech conference in Dallas, Texas, CoreLogic predicted the direction of mortgage rates in the upcoming year, and the consequences it will bring.

Like other economic forecasts about 2018, CoreLogic also predicts rates will continue rising, hitting 4.8% by the end of the year. While CoreLogic Principal Economist Molly Boesel explained these rates are still historically low, it is up 90 basis points from today’s levels.

And these rising rates will bring rippling effects across the mortgage finance industry. For example: affordability.

At the height of the housing market in 2006, the average mortgage payment on a 30-year fixed loan with 20% down was $1,250 after adjusting for inflation, Boesel said. After the crash, this payment amount plummeted, but home prices have been rising 5% to 6% per year. Now, borrowers are expected to make payments of $973 by the end of this year.

But incomes have not been keeping pace with the increase in home prices, and now, increasing interest rates.

What’s more, the refinance market is expected to plummet this year.

“Mortgage rates have been low for so long that very few houses are in the money to refinance,” Boesel said.

As a general rule, in order to make refinancing worth it, you would need to decrease your mortgage rates by at least 100 basis points to make up for the costs associated with refinancing.

As most mortgages today hold an interest rate between 3% and 5%, interest rates hitting 4.8% by the end of the year would keep refinance originations from being a major player in the mortgage market.

However, while the share of refinances continues to drop, it will not fall to zero, Boesel claimed. This is because in 2017 about 200,000 refinances, or 10%, refinanced out of FHA and into conventional in order to shed the mortgage insurance. This share of mortgage refinances will continue to hold a place in the lending market, she predicted.

]]>http://www.nctha.com/2018-will-see-refis-plummet-as-interest-rates-increase/feed/0Dallas Real Estate – How Much Does It Cost To Buy A House In Dallas, Texs?http://www.nctha.com/dallas-real-estate-how-much-does-it-cost-to-buy-a-house-in-dallas-texs/
http://www.nctha.com/dallas-real-estate-how-much-does-it-cost-to-buy-a-house-in-dallas-texs/#respondSat, 16 Dec 2017 20:04:34 +0000http://www.nctha.com/2017/12/16/dallas-real-estate-how-much-does-it-cost-to-buy-a-house-in-dallas-texs/If you plan on buying real estate property in Dallas, Texas, specifically, if you want to buy a house, you should know that the cost is definitely more expensive than in other parts of Texas. While in other places you can buy a house for only $200,000, in Dallas the median price of houses is […]

If you plan on buying real estate property in Dallas, Texas, specifically, if you want to buy a house, you should know that the cost is definitely more expensive than in other parts of Texas.

While in other places you can buy a house for only $200,000, in Dallas the median price of houses is at $379,000 or close to $400,000. If you think it’s expensive, it’s actually expected for a city like Dallas.

However, we like to point out that the 400k is just the median or average pri. You can buy a property for less than that.

If you only have a budget of $300,000, you can still buy a house.

When it comes to house hunting, there are really just two ways to do it. It’s either you do it yourself or you enlist the help of a real estate agent.

Most people think real estate agents work only for the property owners, however, the truth is that this is only true of those who market exclusively.

If you want to get the best property that money can buy, make sure to enlist the help of freelance real estate agent because it would be in their best interests if they help you first. Aside from the commission they will be making from the closing of the sale, they will also benefit from your referrals, which means more income for them.

Of course, you don’t just hire the first real estate agent you meet online. Make sure to do a background check on an agent before hiring him or her. Check referrals and ask about their experiences with the agent.

And when you’re working together to find a house, make periodic follow ups.

]]>http://www.nctha.com/dallas-real-estate-how-much-does-it-cost-to-buy-a-house-in-dallas-texs/feed/0Finding Great Apartments For Rent In Dallas TXhttp://www.nctha.com/finding-great-apartments-for-rent-in-dallas-tx/
http://www.nctha.com/finding-great-apartments-for-rent-in-dallas-tx/#respondMon, 23 Oct 2017 22:52:41 +0000http://www.nctha.com/?p=5If you're hunting for a Dallas apartment, and are struggling to find the right place, you shouldn't feel discouraged. There are plenty of apartments in the Dallas area. Follow these guidelines, and you'll be able to find all kinds of amazing apartments for rent In Dallas TX.

Check For New Listings Regularly

If you're only looking for new apartments every now and then, you may be missing out. Landlords don't list their apartment on just one day of the week. New apartment listings are added on every single day, from Monday through Friday. Some property management companies even put up new listings during the weekend!

If you’re hunting for a Dallas apartment, and are struggling to find the right place, you shouldn’t feel discouraged. There are plenty of apartments in the Dallas area. Follow these guidelines, and you’ll be able to find all kinds of amazing apartments for rent In Dallas TX.

Check For New Listings Regularly

If you’re only looking for new apartments every now and then, you may be missing out. Landlords don’t list their apartment on just one day of the week. New apartment listings are added on every single day, from Monday through Friday. Some property management companies even put up new listings during the weekend!

If you keep an eye out for new listings, you’ll be able to spot apartments that you might have missed otherwise. The more often you look at apartments, the more likely it is that you’ll find a place that offers what you need.

Take Advantage Of Apps

If you have a smartphone, you need to be using apps that will help you with your apartment search. Apps make it easier for you to keep an eye out for listings while you’re out and about. You’ll be able to look at new listings even if you’re having a busy day at work.

There are a number of free apps that can help you find an apartment in Dallas. If you download one of these apps, you’ll be able to keep track of new listings and schedule showings at a number of apartments.

Be Willing To Fill Out An Application Quickly

If you see an apartment that you like, you’re not going to want to sleep on it. You should try to fill out your application right away. If you’re the first person to fill out an application, you’ll be able to claim the apartment for yourself.

Depending on the circumstances, you may also want to put down a holding deposit on the apartment. As long as your application is approved, the apartment will be yours. No one else will have a chance to snatch the place out from under you.

Finding wonderful apartments can be challenging, but it isn’t impossible. In a large city like Dallas, there are new apartments being listed every single day. Use this advice so that you’ll be able to see all of the best apartments for rent in Dallas TX. Before you know it, you’ll be signing a lease.